Maple Pecan Bacon French Toast Bake!

 

I love a good breakfast casserole, especially for the holidays!   They are so yummy and everybody usually likes them!  I also like that you can do all of the prep the night before and then just pop it in the oven the morning you want to serve it!

This is sort of a classic french toast bake, but since you incorporate the bacon into the dish itself, it gives it a really interesting sweet and salty flavor I really like.   The bacon and pecan on top covered in maple syrup is just to die for!!! 

Here is what you will need:

7 large eggs

2   1/2  cups half and half cream

1/2 cup maple syrup, divided

3 Tbs. sugar

dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla

4 Tbs. butter

12 slices Texas Toast or thick sliced Italian bread

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

10 slices of bacon cooked crisp

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the cream, 1/2 of the maple syrup and sugar.  Add the dash of salt and vanilla and cinnamon.  Wisk until blended.  

Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture coating both sides.  As you dip them, place them in a 9"x13" baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray.  Pour any remaining egg mixture evenly over all. 

There will be two layers of bread when you finish.  

Drizzle the other half of the maple syrup over the top.  Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and cut the butter in pats and dot the top.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight!  

The next morning or day when you get ready to bake this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Take the casserole out and let it set out while the oven is preheating.  Bake covered for 30 minutes. 

Uncover and bake for 20 more minutes or until it's puffed up and browning on top!

When you take it out of the oven, sprinkle the top with the crumbled bacon!   I also sprinkled a little confectioners sugar on top!

Top with maple syrup and I like to sprinkle with confectioners sugar and whipped cream!  Why not go all out, it's a holiday!    This is delicious!  This is perfect for Easter breakfast or brunch or we like for our breakfast for supper nights!  

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins!

These muffins are delicious and are really easy to make. They are great for breakfast or a snack!

Here is what you will need:

Eggs, vegetable oil, lemon cake mix, Sprite, lemon juice, poppy seeds, sour cream and lemon pudding.

Ingredients:

4 eggs beaten

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup Sprite

lemon cake mix

1 box instant lemon pudding mix

2 tsp. poppy seeds

1 cup sour cream

Beat eggs with whisk.  Mix in all of the other ingredients just until well blended with whisk.  Do not over mix and don't use an electric mixer or they will be dry.  Place cupcake papers in muffin tins.  This will make 12 regular muffins or 24 mini muffins.  Place in preheated 375 degree oven for 12 minutes for the mini muffins and 25 minutes for the regular muffins.

You can serve these plain without a glaze or drizzle them with this glaze and it just takes them to the next level.  These are so yummy!!!

For the glaze, mix together and drizzle over the muffins before serving:

Lemon Glaze:

2 cups confectioner's sugar

3 Tbs. lemon juice (juice of 1/2 of a lemon)

Cranberry Orange Muffins!

I had some leftover fresh cranberries from making my Cranberry Chutney so I decided to make muffins and they were so yummy!!!    These were great warm from the oven, but they were good the next day also!!!  The citrus and the tartness of the cranberries went well together.  Here is what you will need:

2 cups self rising flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

3/4  cup orange juice

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. orange zest

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Glaze

1 cups confectioners sugar

3 Tbs. orange juice

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour and sugar.  Stir in the egg, orange juice, oil, sour cream and vanilla just until mixed.  Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and chopped nuts.   

Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.  Fill each cup 3/4 full.  You can also make 9 of the super large muffins instead.   Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.  

In a bowl, mix the confectioners sugar and the orange juice for a glaze.   Drizzle over warm muffins. 

*** You can use all purpose flour, but add  1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Peachy Caramel French Toast Casserole!

I love to do breakfast casseroles that can be prepared the night before for the weekends or during the holidays.  It just makes having breakfast much more enjoyable if all you have to do is make the coffee, put a casserole in the oven and maybe fry some bacon or sausage.   This French toast bake, is so good.  It sort of makes it's own sauce as it bakes. Here is what you will need for this one:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1  1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. water

2  (15 oz.) cans sliced peaches, drained  (can substitute an equivalent amount of fresh peaches)

6 slices thick white bread (I used Texas Toast, Italian is good also)

6 eggs

1  1/4 cups half and half cream (can substitute whole milk)

pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon, divided

1 Tbs. vanilla

1 Tbs. maple syrup

1/2 cups chopped pecans

4 Tbs. butter

Place the 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar in the microwave for 1 minute, stir.  Add the brown sugar and microwave for another minute. 

Add the water and microwave for about 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and foams.  Stir.

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.  Pour the caramel sauce in the bottom.  Allow the caramel sauce to cool a bit, about 5 minutes or so.

Layer the  drained peaches over the caramel sauce and then the bread slices on top of the peaches.

Whisk the eggs, cream, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Pour evenly over the bread.  Sprinkle with pecans and dot with the other 4 Tbs. of butter.  Sprinkle with the other 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  If this starts to brown too much just cover loosely with foil.  I have never had that happen, but all ovens cook differently.

This makes it's own syrup in the bottom of the dish or you can add additional maple syrup.  If you feel really decadent add a dollop of whipped cream!

7-Up Biscuits!

This is one of those recipes that has circulated all over the Internet and Pinterest and I get asked for it a lot, so I thought I would make these and post them.  This recipe does produce a really fluffy and light biscuit due to the addition of the soda.  They also have just a hint of sweetness.  If you do not have good luck with making homemade biscuits, this is a good recipe to use, because I don't think you can mess it up.  

As with all of the Pinterest type recipes, I have to experiment and see if they really work.  This one works, but I did adjust just a bit for best results.  

 Here is what you will need:

2 1/4 cups baking mix (like Bisquick o Jiffy)

1/2 cup sour cream

2/3 cup 7-Up or any clear carbonated soda will work

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Place the butter in a 9"x9" baking pan and place it in the oven to melt the butter.  Watch it carefully or it will burn.

Place the baking mix in a mixing bowl.  With a pastry cutter or fork, cut the sour cream into the baking mix.  Pour in the 7-Up and mix.   This makes a very soft dough. 

Sprinkle a board or sheet of wax paper with more baking mix and then turn your dough out onto it.  Knead and work the dough until it is covered with baking mix.  Do Not over work the dough.  This is why biscuits turn out sort of tough and not flaky. Just knead enough that you can roll the dough out to cut it.

  I use a baking mix that I get at GFS (Gordon Food Services) and it is so much better than any I have ever tried.  It has little bits of butter in it.  If you have a GFS in your area, check it out.  I think they are mostly in the southeast.

Roll it out, leaving it fairly thick for thicker biscuits. Cut with a biscuit cutter or glass or whatever you have. You should get about 9-10 biscuits out of this.

Place each biscuit in the pan, turning them over in the melted butter so that each side gets buttered.  Place in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until browned on top!

Serve hot out of oven!  They are delicious!





Cheesy Grits Casserole!

This "Cheesy Grits Casserole" is so good for breakfast, brunch or dinner!   I like this for holiday meals, because you can prep it ahead of time right up to the point of baking and then just bake it right before serving.  

Grits are a very southern sort of thing, but I will admit that grits are not served all that much in Kentucky or I should say 'not as much' as they are in the deep south or in some of the coastal southern states.   Although I do think that maybe they have gained in popularity over the last 20 years or so.   We have always eaten grits in our family, because my father says he learned to eat grits when he visited his sister, my Aunt Tootsie, who married and moved to the deep south, southern Mississippi to be exact.    Down there you do not cook a proper breakfast without grits.   It's just not done.  That might have changed some over the years, but that was just how it was then. 

If you order grits here or really most places in Kentucky, they are not going to be cooked right.  That is just my experience and I can tell you why they are not good.  

First of all, you have to salt the water or liquid you are cooking them in immediately.  You cannot salt grits after they are cooked or even after they are cooking.   Do it right from the start.  

Also, once cooked, grits should have some body to them. They should not be runny and thin.  They also should not be a stiff blob.  There is a happy place, just like mashed potatoes, in the middle.    When cooked properly, they won't still be gritty either.  If they are, they are not done and didn't cook long enough.   DO NOT use instant grits!  They are so nasty!   It is fine to use quick cooking grits, which are not instant!  Or use the regular grits, which just take a little longer to cook.   

I am sure this grits advice will bring on some debate, because grits can be like cornbread, very subjective and everybody has their own ideas about them.  That's ok though,  because that  is what the world of food is all about.  You can never learn it all and everybody can teach us things we never knew or thought of! 

Here is what you will need for this "Cheesy Grits Casserole":

4 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup butter

1 cup quick cooking grits

dash of hot sauce (I use Tabasco)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the milk with the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and add the butter and grits.   Reduce heat to simmer and whisk constantly until the grits are done,  about 5 to 7 minutes. 

Remove from the heat.   Stir in all of the cheeses and the eggs.  If you do not have the smoked Gouda cheese, you can use all cheddar instead of one cup of each.  However, the Gouda cheese gives this a really nice, creamy texture.   

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish you have sprayed with nonstick spray.  Place in the preheated 350 degree oven.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or just until it starts to brown on top and puffs just little.

Even non-grit eaters will love this casserole!  





Apple Walnut Muffins!

These muffins are delicious for breakfast or with a cup of coffee for an afternoon snack.  They also make great after school snacks for the kids with a glass of milk.   These are really easy to make.  You do need to prepare the apples the night before.  

 Here is what you need for these:

4 cups apples, peeled and diced

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1  1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine apples and sugar and let stand overnight in the refrigerator.  Beat eggs, oil and vanilla together.   Add to apples and sugar. 

Combine all of the dry ingredients.   Mix in the walnuts.   Mix with the wet ingredients just until all is moistened and combined.  

Fill paper lined muffin tins about 3/4 full.   Bake for about 25 minutes.  Makes 24 smaller muffins or 18 large ones.  





Country Ham Quiche!

Since I grew up in Kentucky and have lived here all of my life, at one time I never really realized that not everyone had access to or was familiar with country ham.   Country ham is Kentucky, maybe more than bourbon, horses and tobacco.  

 I have since learned that country ham is fairly regional.  When you go past the Mason Dixon line north or to the west, it sort of starts to fade away.  Really surprising is that it's also not very available in Mississippi, Louisiana and much of Alabama.  

 I am not completely sure why this is, but I have  a theory that it has to do with the saying ...."It's cold enough to kill hogs in here".   Have you ever heard someone say that about a cold room?  Well, it had to be really cold before you could kill hogs because the process of dressing the meat and such took some time and if it was too warm, the meat would ruin.  Maybe it wasn't cold enough in those coastal states to cure the meat?  I am not really sure. 

I am told that my grandfather was well known for wonderful country hams and smoked shoulders.  He killed five to six hogs each winter.  That might seem like a lot, but he had 11 kids to feed. 

 According to my aunts, his secret was using both hickory and sassafras woods and he used the roots of the sassafras tree not just the limbs.  It gave the meat a very unique flavor.   Everybody around wanted the secret to his smoking technique.   

You may have heard the saying, 'they used every part of the hog, but the squeal",   according to my mother...they did. Which probably explains my excessive use of  bacon and ham in my cooking...it's genetic! 

Of course, now days you can order country ham online, but I am not sure a lot of people would know what to do with it.  Somebody asked me today, what makes Kentucky cuisine so different from other areas, and I have decided that a big part of it is the country ham (and so much more).  We fry it, bake it, and use it to season everything from dried beans to green beans and just any kind of fresh greens like collards, mustard or turnip greens.   That's why any discussion of foods for a Kentucky Derby celebration, party or tea must include country ham!   You will find the usual country ham and biscuits and there is nothing wrong with that at all, but this is the use of country ham in a quiche and it really makes this quiche extra good. 

Here is what you will need:

Country ham (just the biscuit slices is enough), eggs, half and half, butter, sour cream, pie crust, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce.

Ingredients:

1 deep dish pie crust
2 Tbs. butter
1 1/2 cups chopped country ham

4 eggs

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup Swiss cheese

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

dash of cayenne pepper

dash of Tabasco sauce



Melt 2 Tbs. butter in a skillet.  Wash the ham slices off.  Country ham tends to be very salty and can be a little gritty out of the package so it needs to be rinsed off.  Chop it up and saute it in the butter.  Country ham is a cured meat, but it is not fully cooked. 

Beat the eggs with a whisk, add half and half, sour cream, seasoned salt, pepper cayenne and Tabasco sauce and whisk until well blended.   Place the pie crust in a deep pie plate or you can use a frozen deep dish pie crust. 

Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.  The quiche cooks more evenly like this and it's easier to move in and out of the oven.

Place the ham with the butter in the bottom of the crust.  Sprinkle both cheeses over the ham.  Pour the egg mixture over all. 

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 50-55 minutes.  If it starts to brown on top too much and is not done in the center, place a piece of foil lightly over the top.  Usually this doesn't happen, but all ovens vary.

Let the quiche sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and it will come out much easier.   For a Derby Tea these could be made in a mini muffin pan for mini quiches, just chop the ham a little finer.

Slice and serve!  I served it with fried potatoes! 

Peachy Caramel French Toast Bake!

 

I love to do breakfast casseroles that can be prepared the night before for the weekends or during the holidays.  It just makes having breakfast much more enjoyable if all you have to do is make the coffee, put a casserole in the oven and maybe fry some bacon or sausage.   This French toast bake, is so good.  It sort of makes it's own sauce as it bakes. Here is what you will need for this one:

 

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1  1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. water

2  (15 oz.) cans sliced peaches, drained  (can substitute an equivalent amount of fresh peaches)

6 slices thick white bread (I used Texas Toast, Italian is good also)

6 eggs

1  1/4 cups half and half cream (can substitute whole milk)

pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon, divided

1 Tbs. vanilla

1 Tbs. maple syrup

1/2 cups chopped pecans

4 Tbs. butter

 

Place the 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar in the microwave for 1 minute, stir.  Add the brown sugar and microwave for another minute. 

 

Add the water and microwave for about 2 minutes or until the mixture bubbles and foams.  Stir.

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.  Pour the caramel sauce in the bottom.  Allow the caramel sauce to cool a bit, about 5 minutes or so.

 

Layer the  drained peaches over the caramel sauce and then the bread slices on top of the peaches.

 

Whisk the eggs, cream, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Pour evenly over the bread.  Sprinkle with pecans and dot with the other 4 Tbs. of butter.  Sprinkle with the other 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

 

Place in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes.  If this starts to brown too much just cover loosely with foil.  I have never had that happen, but all ovens cook differently.

 

This makes it's own syrup in the bottom of the dish or you can add additional maple syrup.  If you feel really decadent add a dollop of whipped cream!

 

 

 





Ruth Ann's Banana Cream Cheese Muffins!

 

 

 

The recipe for these "Banana Cream Cheese Muffins" came by way of my parent's neighbor, Juanita.  She got the recipe from a friend of hers, Ruth Ann.  Not only did Juanita provide us the recipe, she baked a batch of the muffins and brought them over with it!   I love when that happens!   I especially love it when the muffins are this delicious! 

 

The beauty of this recipe is that it is so flexible.  You can substitute zucchini for bananas and make them zucchini muffins and you can also make this into banana or zucchini bread.  Here is what you will need for these yummy muffins:

 

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

3 very ripe bananas, mashed  ( to make zucchini muffins substitute 2 cups unpeeled, shredded zucchini)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Beat the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla together for about 3 minutes.   Add in the cream cheese and beat until smooth.

 

Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix just until combined and dry ingredients are moist.

 

Add in the nuts and bananas (or zucchini).

 

Spray a 12 cup muffins pan with nonstick spray or use liners.

 

This makes 12 large muffins or 18 smaller ones.  Bake the larger ones for about 25 minutes.  The smaller ones will take about 20 minutes.  The baking time will vary according to how full you fill your muffins tins.  Test with a pick inserted in the center.  It will come out clean when they are done.

 







Sweet Potato Muffins!

                                                                       

I love anything made with sweet potatoes so for me these muffins were right up my alley.  My husband, on the other hand, turns his nose up at sweet potatoes or anything with sweet potatoes in them.  He won't even taste it.   Occasionally, he will eat something made with pumpkin though. He says he likes pumpkin bread now.   If you have picky eaters to cook for, you probably know where I am going with this.  Ok, so I told him eventually they were sweet potato and not pumpkin, after he ate two and talked about how good they were!  Sometimes, I have to do things like this to get people at my house to try new things.  Sometimes, it works, sometimes it doesn't. 

I got this muffin recipe from my Aunt Ann, who is a wonderful southern cook.  She is very good at developing recipes also.  Here is what you will need for these tasty muffins: 

2 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (you can use canned or cook your own from fresh sweet potatoes)
1 large egg
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
2 cups self rising flour*
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups sugar

*If you do not have self rising flour in your area, use the same amount of all purpose flour and add 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, sweet potatoes, butter and oil.  In another bowl mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.   Mix the two together lightly.  Do not over mix this.

Spray two 12 cup muffin tins well with nonstick spray.  Fill them each about 2/3 full.   Bake for 15-18 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.   Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.  

Stir together glaze ingredients.  Drizzle over muffins.

Hawaiian Banana Bread!

This recipe for banana bread is absolutely the moistest I have ever made.  I think the addition of the pineapple probably has something to do with that, even though the taste if pineapple is not all that obvious in it.  

This recipe makes two nice size loaves of banana bread also.   I serve it with a Tropical Cream Cheese Spread that just makes it extra yummy!   Here is what you will need for this banana bread and the spread:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1  1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 bananas)

1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple, well drained ( reserve the juice for the spread)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Tropical Cream Cheese Spread

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 Tbs. honey

2 Tbs. of the reserved pineapple juice

1/4 cup maraschino cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix together all of the wet ingredients. 

Gradually stir in the dry ingredients and mix just until blended.  Stir in the chopped nuts last.  Divide evenly between two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans that have been well greased and floured or sprayed with nonstick spray for baking.  Bake for 60-65 minutes. 

Allow to cool in the pans for about 15 - 20 minutes and then turn them out. 

To prepare the Tropical Cream Cheese Spread, mix all of the ingredients with a mixer or in a food processor and then place in a bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve. 

This bread is great for breakfast,  with a cup of coffee or a good snack for the kids.